


Façade

by KlonoaDreams



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Child Neglect, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Drama, Editing in the process, Family, Family Fluff, Gen, Genderbending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-03
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2017-12-25 11:53:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/952758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlonoaDreams/pseuds/KlonoaDreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They still haven't noticed. Not Dojima, Nanako…not even my own parents. I have already come to accept this from my parents...they can't even remember what gender I am. The male Yasogami High uniform I received was enough to prove that. Until somebody figures it out, I'm Yu Narukami, a male student from the big city attending Yasogami High for the next year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Inaba

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find this story familiar, then chances are you've read it on fanfiction.net. If not, then carry on, new reader!
> 
> DISCLAIMER FOR ENTIRE STORY: I don't own anything related to the Shin Megami Tensei series, which includes the Persona series, and Atlus!
> 
> Reason why this fic is rated M (written by kurobook) : Warning, this work only features scenes with sexual content up to the level of soft-core porn, and does not contain acts of sexual intercourse.
> 
> So don't expect any smut from me.
> 
> Oh, as a heads-up, I’m going off of Persona 4 Golden. I’m being specific here because there is a huge difference between Golden and the original. I won’t say exactly what, but for those who have played the original…you’ll figure it out soon enough.
> 
> There's also more to it, but I'd rather not say anymore than that, so read on! 
> 
> Beta Reader and Co-writer as of 8-10-16: kurobook (many thanks for helping me edit this monstrosity of a fic, like seriously, THANK YOU)

_A blue limousine drives through the thick fog on a road that seems to be heading toward nowhere, quiet and serene. Its pacing is slow and there are passengers inside; the Velvet Room as it is referred to as._

_An old man with an unusually long nose, huge eyes, and an odd smile is seated by the partition window. To his left is a young woman with golden eyes and unnaturally muted hair. She is dressed in blue, matching the interior of the limousine and a heavy tome resting on her lap._

_Their attention is focused on their guest, sitting across from them at the far end of the car. Introductions are made and possible familiarities are formed. The old man is Igor, and the young woman is his assistant, Margaret._

_“Do you believe in fortune telling?” Igor asks as he spreads a number of cards on the table in front of him._

_There is no response from their guest, so the question is left unanswered._

_Igor does not mind and continues to speak. “Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different…” He pauses to chuckle and then continues with another question. “Life follows the same principles, doesn’t it?”_

_Again, there is no answer, only silence, which is then broken with the sound of a card flipping over. Said card has a picture of a tower stricken by lightning, from which two small figures were falling down._

_“Hm… The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is…”_

_Flip._

_Another card flips over and it is, “The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents ‘hesitation’ and ‘mystery’…Very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you.”_

_Their guest is perplexed, but still silent._

_“In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost…” His eerie smile is still present as ever, yet somehow Igor’s tone is serious. “My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen. We shall attend to details another time. Until then, farewell, Yu Narukami…”_

…

…

* * *

 **_“I’m tired of diets! Enough with going to the gym! Good thing there's something even I can handle!”_ ** A giggle follows the peppy girl from the commercial showing on the televisions on all the billboards and walls nearby.

The commercial causes a slim, silver-haired individual to startle from his thoughts. Curiosity causes him to take a glance at the commercial.

 **_“Slim down this summer with the refreshing taste of Quelorie Magic.”_ ** A different voice had replaced the previous, peppy female voice. It was an advertisement for a beverage…one that this individual had no intent on ever trying out. It was going to take much more than a bikini-clad girl to convince him to try out Quelorie Magic.

 _“I’ll stick to TaP Soda…”_ It’s his soda of choice and he’s leaving it at that. The individual adjusts the grip on his duffle bag, barely suppressing a yawn as he does so. He had had a rather strange dream last night involving himself, Narukami Yu. There were two very peculiar people, Igor and Margaret, all three of them were in a limousine, and he had been thinking about it until a _certain commercial_ derailed his train of thought.

**_“And, we're back…Now for some juicy news, the 'Yamano-Mayumi' Scandal—”_ **

And there goes the news involving the scandal…

“Feh, first he bags a singer, and then he has an affair with a TV announcer on the site?” A man passing by was definitely not amused. “Do chicks really dig Politicians?”

A woman overhears the man and decides to converse with him. “Isn't it just stuff like money and connections?”

Yu narrows his eyes and tries to block out the ongoing conversation. He’s getting tired of the news and gossip about the scandal. Times like these, a pair of headphones and some loud music would be really good to block out everything like this. _“Maybe I should have bought those headphones when I had the chance last week…”_

Luckily for him, the screeching squeal of wheels announces the arrival of a subway car, the one he has been waiting for for the past hour or so. The soft hiss of the brakes followed by a loud beeping signals that the doors had opened. It was time for him to leave.

Before he could do anything, Yu finds himself being pushed forward as people begin to board. Once he settles in, he holds onto one of the poles by the seats, unable to reach the hanging handles (he’s tried), and having been unable to obtain a seat. Most of them were already occupied to begin with, so it doesn’t matter to him.

Yu stares dully out the window in front of him as the car begins to move. He sighs. _“Another year, another school…”_ A glance down at the clothing he’s wearing. _“And another uniform to break in…”_

He’s starting to lose count of the amount of school uniforms he’s accumulated. In the past years, he had to move around often because of his parents’ work. Though, that was all being left behind, as his parents decided to go overseas without him, and instead leave him with an uncle he barely even knew.

 _“Now that I think of it…”_ Yu flips out his cell phone and checks the email he had been sent not too long ago.

_Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4PM._

**_“We will arrival at the Yasogami terminal in a few minutes,”_ **  a voice announces over the train’s intercom.  **_“Passengers headed for Inaba City and Yasoinaba Station, please move to the other side of the platform.”_ **

Well, speak of the devil… _“I guess that’s me.”_

Following the rest of the passengers, Yu slips off the train with ease and makes his way across the cement boarding station. He boards the next train and notes that very few people follow him aboard. There weren’t many passengers, so it was a plus for him, as he was able to find an empty seat this time around.

After tossing his duffel bag on the seat next to him, Yu sits down and decides to take the time to relax. He ends up dozing off, waking up abruptly in sweat when the light flares up at the end of a tunnel. A lake passes by through the windows, surrounded by hills on every side.

 _“Velvet Room…”_ It was that dream again—the one with Igor and Margaret. It's almost as if they're reminding him...

Lost in thoughts, time melds away, and when the train slows to a halt, he sighs and stands up to grab his duffle bag. It was time to get off the train.

…

…

 **_“Yasoinaba. Yasoinaba.”_ ** A man announced over the PA as Yu steps off the train. He looks around slowly, taking note of his surroundings.

The station was well kept and clean, but rather empty. Its older look implies that not many people come or go, which doesn't surprise Yu at all. Shouldering his duffle bag, he takes in a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

 _“Now’s the time to start over from scratch…”_ Nobody knew anything who he was, aside from the fact that he came from the city… and that’s about it. He might as well take advantage of it…

“Hey!” a man’s voice calls out. “Over here!”

Yu blinks and walks down the steps, making his way towards the man waving at him. The man appears to be in his early forties, and is dressed in a gray shirt with a dark red tie and dark brown slacks. He’s accompanied by a brown-haired, pigtailed girl who clings tightly onto his shirt as she stands behind him. She’s wearing a white turtleneck underneath her pink dress, with pink ribbons tied in her hair.

The man smiles at Yu and holds out his hand. Yu takes his hand and shakes it, noting that the man’s grip is firm.

“Well, you’re more handsome in person than in your photo,” the man remarks as he releases his grip on Yu’s hand. “Welcome to Inaba. I’m Dojima Ryotaro. I’ll be looking after you. Let’s see…I’m your mother’s younger brother…and that about sums it up.”

 _“So that makes you my uncle…”_ Yu thinks, as he looks over Dojima. He doesn’t really find Dojima familiar… in fact, he isn’t even sure if he’s ever met Dojima before. As far as he knows, this is the first time he’s met the guy, which means… “It’s nice to meet you.”

Dojima chuckles as he rubs the back of his head. “You probably don’t remember, but we’ve met. I’ve changed your diapers before, you know.”

…

…

…

 _“Okay, awkward…”_ Yu feels the blood drain from his face. _“Well, at least this explains why I don’t remember him…”_

Still, the man just practically confessed to seeing Yu naked, and that doesn’t bode well for him. It almost made him feel self-conscious, but Yu shrugs it off. He really shouldn’t let things like that get to him…

Dojima turns his attention to the pigtailed girl by his side and gently pushes her forward. “This here’s my daughter.”

Dojima’s daughter took one look at Yu before diverting her eyes on the ground. She was rather shy…

“Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin,” Dojima says encouragingly.

Nanako hesitates at first, but she manages to at least say, “… ’lo.”

Yu blinks as a small blush tinges his cheeks. “… Cute…”

Nanako’s face turns bright red almost immediately, and she quickly darts back behind her father to hide her red face. Dojima chuckles again, finding this rather amusing.

“What’re you so shy for—ow!” he yelps as a small hand struck him hard on the backside. “Hahaha…”

Nanako diverts her gaze. “Hmm…”

“Ahem, well then…let’s get going,” Dojima says, trying to change the subject. “My car’s over there.”

Yu nods and follows after Dojima and Nanako. However, he’s only taken a few steps when suddenly…

“… Hey.”

Yu stops and turns around. He sees a black-haired girl bend down to pick up a piece of paper off the ground. She stands up and holds out the paper to Yu. “You dropped this.”

Yu nods to her. “Thank you.”

“Whatever,” the girl replied. “All I did was pick it up.”

Yu walks over to the girl to take the paper, and gets a better look at her. She has chilled gray eyes, wears a sleeveless white blouse with a short black necktie, a choker with a lock on it, a checkered skirt with a fancy golden buckle that resembles a heart with wings on a black belt, and striped stockings with gray boots. He was a bit confused as to why someone would wear a choker along with a necktie, but didn’t say anything.

She seems around his age and looks rather unfriendly, but he’s not one to judge people by their appearance. She probably wasn’t used to talking to people, or rather, people she didn’t know… like Yu.

 _“I am new to Inaba…”_ Yu thinks to himself as he looks over the paper. He blinks as he realizes it was the note he made himself with Dojima’s address. The girl was underestimating herself. She just managed to save him the trouble of having to obtain Dojima’s address again. Before he can say anything, the girl turns around and walks away.

Yu wants to go after her, but decides not to. Dojima was probably waiting for him.

 _“Besides, Inaba is a small town,”_ Yu thinks to himself. _“I’ll probably run into her again.”_

“What’s wrong?” Dojima asks as he helps Nanako get into the car.

Yu looks at Dojima and shakes his head. “Nothing.”

After dropping his duffel bag into the trunk, Yu hops into the car and sits in the backseat, and Nanako jumps into the passenger seat next to her father. The ride into town is quiet…until Nanako starts squirming around in her seat.

“What’s wrong?” Dojima asks.

Nanako looks down at her lap as a small blush tinges her cheeks. “…”

Dojima blinks and smiles. “Oh, you need to use the restroom—ouch!”

Nanako has just finished punching her father in the arm. She looks away afterward, trying her best to hide her red face. Yu can’t help but smile at this scene.

…

…

Dojima pulls into a gas station in the Central Shopping District. An attendant with long, wavy gray hair ran out to greet and assist them.

“Hi! Welcome to Moel!” The attendant had a vague, boyish-feminine voice.

Dojima turns to Nanako. “Can you go to the bathroom by yourself?”

“Uh-huh,” Nanako answers, getting out of the car. She looks around, trying to locate the restroom.

“It’s in the back to your left,” the attendant pipes up helpfully, still grinning. “Do you know which way is left? The side you don’t hold your chopsticks in.”

“I know!” Nanako pouts, looking slightly annoyed. “Geez…”

Nanako looks back at her father once more before running off towards the station. Moments after, Yu opens the door, steps out of the car, and stretches out his arms and legs. It felt good to get some blood in his limbs, he noted.

“Are you taking a trip?” the attendant asks Dojima.

Dojima looks over his shoulder at Yu. “No, we just went to pick him up. He just moved here from the big city.”

The attendant looks curiously at Yu. “The city, huh…?”

“Fill up my car while you’re at it,” Dojima says, as he looks at his car. “Regular’s fine.”

“Right away, sir!” the attendant says cheerfully.

Dojima glances off into the distance. “Good a time as any for a smoke…”

 _“So he likes to smoke…”_ Yu thinks, as he watches Dojima walk away to the edge of the sidewalk.

“Are you in high school?”

Yu turns to the gas station attendant and nods silently in response.

“Does it surprise a city boy to see how little there is out here?” The attendant looks curiously at Yu. “There’s so little to do, I’m sure you’ll get bored fast. You’ll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs.”

Yu isn’t actually paying attention to what the attendant’s saying. He’s too focused something else. He had no idea if the attendant was male or female, due to appearance and voice… it was difficult for Yu to not feel awkward.

“Hey, are you listening?”

That snaps Yu out of his thoughts. “Huh?”

“I was just saying that we’re looking for part-time help right now, here at Moel,” the attendant explains. “Give it some thought, why don’t you? We don’t mind if you’re a student.”

This time, Yu is paying attention, and decides to take up the attendant’s offer. “Sure, I’ll give it some thought.”

The attendant smiles and holds out a hand to Yu. Yu extended his own hand slowly, taking the offered handshake. The two exchanged a few more words of conversation before Nanako returns from the restroom.

“Oh, I should get back to work,” the attendant says, walking away at once.

Yu notices that Nanako is looking at him. He opens his mouth to speak, but stops when a sudden wave of vertigo slams into him at full force. His hand immediately goes to his forehead. It feels as though his skull is being split open…

“Are you okay?” Nanako frowns. “Did you get carsick? You don’t look too good…”

Yu swallows hard as he feels nausea bubbling within his stomach. “Ngh…”

“What’s wrong?” Dojima has returned. He takes one look at Yu and frowns. “You okay?”

“I don’t feel good…” Yu murmurs.

Dojima sighs. “Let’s hurry home, then…”

Dojima and Nanako helps Yu get into the car. He falls asleep on the way to the Dojima residence. Once there, Nanako gently shakes her cousin awake.

“We’re here,” she says.

Yu looks blearily at Nanako. He rubs his eyes and yawns, noting that his dizziness and nausea are gone. He definitely feels better now…

“You’re okay, right?” Nanako asks.

Yu smiles and nods. “Yeah…”

…

The two-story house is traditionally styled, and a deep, cozy brown in color. It seems simple, but Yu doesn’t really mind. This is the place that will be his home for the next year. It felt…strange.

 _“You’d think I’d be used to this…”_ Yu thinks, as he enters the house. Apparently, he isn’t, as he finds the inside of the house rather shocking. It isn’t that Dojima’s house is a complete mess, but how it seems like people are actually _living_ in the house.

Nanako seats herself down by the table in the living room and turns on the television, and Dojima takes Yu’s duffel bag from him, telling him to sit down too. Yu almost hesitates, as he wanted to unpack first, but his head suddenly throbs, and makes him think twice. Yu decided he can do that later, and he sits down on the sofa. He leans back into the cushion, shutting his eyes as he felt another sharp throb through his skull.

 _“What…the hell is going on?”_ Yu sighs, opening his eyes. He was growing annoyed with his throbbing head. The pain just wouldn’t go away…

“You okay with take-out tonight?” Dojima asks, once he returns from the second floor.

“I don’t really mind,” Yu replies.

“Can we go to Junes, Dad?” Nanako suddenly springing to life. She’s quick to run to her father’s side, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Dojima chuckles and reaches down to ruffle her hair.

“Oh, alright then.” Dojima turns to Yu. “You have my number, right?”

Yu pulls out his cell phone and checks his contact list, which is nearly empty, save for the one contact that actually mattered at the moment. “I have it right here.”

“All right, we’ll be back. Make yourself at home in the meantime.” With that said, Dojima and Nanako leave the house.

…

Yu looks up at the ceiling and sighs. He closes his eyes for a moment and tries to relax.

 _“He did say I can make myself at home…”_ Yu thinks, before he dozes off.

…

…

The sound of rain fills the house and wakes Yu from his sleep. He rubs his eyes and yawns as he holds up his cell phone to check the time. An hour has passed, and Nanako and Dojima have yet to return from Junes. Yu sighs and puts his cell phone back in his pocket.

 _“How far is Junes anyways?”_ There are a lot of things that Yu doesn’t know about Inaba. He makes a mental note to tour around Inaba when he had the chance. He needs to get used to his surroundings if he wants to get through the year.

A few more minutes pass before Nanako and Dojima finally return from Junes. Dinner consists of sushi and TaP soda. After a quick toast, the three start eating.

“So…your mom and dad are busy as always…” Dojima says, as he looks at Yu. “They’re working overseas, was it?”

Yu is drinking from his can of TaP soda when Dojima asks the question. He turns to his uncle and nods in response.

Dojima continues, “I know it’s only for a year, but getting stuck in a place like this because of your parents…It’s rough being a kid.”

Yu doesn’t really mind anymore. He’s rather used to this. However, it’s nice to know that someone cares.

“Well, it’s just me and Nanako here, so it’ll be nice having someone like you around,” Dojima says with a smile. “So as long as you’re here, you’re part of the family, so make yourself at home.”

“Thank you for your kindness.” Yu smiles warmly.

Dojima chuckles. “C’mon, there’s no need to be so formal. Look, you’re making Nanako all tense.”

Nanako blinks, having heard her name. Her face turns red when she realizes the attention is all on her, and looks down, trying her best to hide her red face.

“Well, anyway…let’s eat.” They’re just about to do that when someone’s phone starts ringing.

_PI PI PI PI PI PI PI!_

“Ugh…who’s calling at this hour?” Dojima pulls out his cell phone and answers, “Dojima speaking…” He stands up and walks away from the table. “Yeah? I see…So where is it?”

…

“All right, I’m on my way.” Dojima sighs. “Looks like I made the right choice to skip the booze…”

Yu turns to Nanako and notices she looks depressed. Something tells him that this isn’t the first time this has happened.

“Sorry, but I gotta go take care of some business,” Dojima says, with an apologetic look. “Go ahead and eat without me. I don’t know how late I’ll be. Nanako, you help him out, okay?”

Nanako nods, her shoulders slumping slightly as her father walks toward the door. The sound of rain fills the house as the door was opened.

“Nanako, what did you do with the laundry?” It was a question Dojima had forgotten to ask Nanako earlier.

“I brought it in this morning,” she replies.

“…All right. Well, I’m off.”

The door closes and after a few moments, the two hear a car drive away. Nanako sighs and turns on the television.

**_“—for this week. Next, let’s take a look at the hourly breakdown of tomorrow’s weather. With storm clouds moving in from the west, expect rain throughout the day tomorrow in most areas.”_ **

Nanako looks back at her plate. “Let’s eat.”

Yu finds himself alone with Nanako, who is looking rather lonely, and decides to strike up a conversation. “What does your dad do?”

“He…investigates stuff.” Nanako sounds nervous. “Like crime scenes. My dad’s a detective.”

**_“And now for the local news. City council secretary Namatame Taro is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Hiiragi Misuzu, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages. In response, Eye Television has decided to cancel all of announcer Yamano Mayumi’s televised appearances. Until allegations of an affair with Namatame are resolved, she’ll remain off the air and out of the public eye.”_ **

Nanako makes a face. “…This is boring.”

“Please change the channel…” Yu has heard enough of this back at the city.

Nanako does just that.

**_“At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day’s great at your Junes!”_ **

Nanako perks up and smiles. “Every day’s great at your Junes!”

Yu stares at Nanako, somewhat stunned with her sudden change of character. She’s certainly happier than before.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Nanako stops smiling.

Yu looks down at his plate and starts eating. He wasn’t aware how hungry he was until now.

…

…

After dinner, Yu spends the rest of his evening in the room Dojima is lending him. By now he is out of his uniform, and is now wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and loose black pants.

Originally, he had planned on unpacking the boxes in the room, but the most he did was move the boxes out of his way.

 _“I’ll do that tomorrow…”_ he thinks, as he sits on the black sofa. He closes his eyes for awhile, and blinks curiously when he opens them and spots something on the table in front of the sofa.

There’s a small package with his name on it. Interest piqued, Yu reaches over and picks up the package. It turns out to be a journal, a gift from Dojima, as noted by the letter that came along with it.

_I thought you might like to write about your time in Inaba. You know, have something to look back on when you leave._

_Dojima_

Yu looks at the journal when he finishes reading the letter. A part of him wants nothing more than to drop the journal and go to sleep. But the more he thinks about it, the more Yu feels that there wouldn’t be any harm in writing something. He has so much on his mind that maybe this could help clear it…

…

It takes Yu a few minutes to find a pencil before he sits back down on the sofa and opens the journal. It takes him a few more minutes to figure out what exactly he wants to write in his newly obtained journal.

When he’s done, Yu closes the journal and leaves it on the table. He makes his way over to the blue futon on the floor, ready to call it a night. He’s had a long day, and right now, he wants nothing more than to go to sleep… and he did.

…

…

* * *

 _Monday, April 11_ _th_ _, 2011_

_It’s only the first day and already, I’m looking forward to spending the year with Dojima and Nanako. Inaba doesn’t seem that bad of a place. School starts tomorrow, so I guess that something I can look forward to…maybe. I don’t know. My opinion might change once I get there._

_Still, I’m going to try and make friends this time around. I can’t distance myself anymore and this is the only chance I get to start over from scratch. Nobody knows who I am or the reputation I made for myself. That’s enough motivation for me._

_Maybe I’ll see that girl from the station at school tomorrow. I never got her name…_

_…_

_I still have no clue if the Moel Gas Station Attendant is male or female. Maybe neither? Who knows?_

_Speaking of which…_

_…_

_…_

_They still haven’t noticed._

_Not Dojima, Nanako…not even my own parents._

_…_

_Of course, I have already come to accept this from my parents. Nowadays, it seems they barely even notice I exist._

_I just wanted their attention and this is what I get._

_I get left behind while they go overseas. Not only that, but I also have to deal with the mistake they made. I doubt they’ll be able to figure it out on their own while they’re overseas without me._

_I’ve had enough of this crap._

_I give up…_

_My own parents can’t even remember my gender. The male Yasogami High uniform I received was enough to prove that._

_Until somebody figures it out, I’m Narukami Yu, a male student from the big city attending Yasogami High for the next year. I already left whatever clothing I owned back at home and spent most of my allowance on new clothes suitable for my…“apparent gender”._

_I couldn’t care less about what I’m getting myself into. I’ve stopped giving a damn about that the moment I received the male Yasogami High uniform._

_I’m just so tired of this…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8-10-16 Hello everyone!! Guess who’s going through all 50 chapters of this story to edit them?
> 
> ME… and I have a friend helping me out, so give MANY thanks to kurobook, because this is gonna take a while. New writing style is to be expected, and I’m hoping to flesh out certain scenes aside from just editing this story.
> 
> It’s taken awhile, but like, Persona 5 hype finally dragged me back to this fic. So don’t worry! I haven’t given up on this fic. Although, I won’t be updating until we get through ALL 50 of these chapters, so I do ask for your patience.
> 
> Seriously though, many thanks to kurobook for suffering through hell with me. (No problem.)
> 
> Thank you so much for the support throughout all these years.
> 
> Again, it’s been a while so I’m glad to be back and as a heads up to new readers, from this point on, I’ll be referring to Yu with she/her pronouns. This is a fem!Yu fic, despite the usage of masculine pronouns in this first chapter.
> 
> Welp, that’s about all I have to say! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! (Of course they enjoyed it.) Until next time!


	2. Who Wants To Talk About Murder?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader and Co-Writer as of 8-10-16: kurobook

Fog obstructs Yu’s vision. It is everywhere, a blanket of mist as far as the eyes can see.

_“Where am I—what happened to my clothes?”_ Apart from not knowing where she is, the question of when exactly did she changed out of her sleeping attire, and into her school uniform, pops in mind. Yu decides to not think about what happened to her clothes and tries to focus more on her surroundings. From the looks of it, she can only move forward.

_“Forward it is, then…”_ she thinks, as she breaks into a slow run. She follows the dim outline of the red path beneath her feet, unable to see anything off its edges. Her shoes click loudly against the ground, sounding like the soft rhythm of a ticking clock. Apart from her footsteps, it’s practically silent…

**_“Do you seek the truth…?”_ **

It was just so sudden, almost out of nowhere. Yu comes to an abrupt stop and looks around, her heart practically pounding within her chest. She has no clue who spoke, but there’s only one way to find out… and that meant she had to keep moving forward. And she does, after calming down.

**_“If it’s truth you desire, come and find me…”_ **

The voice sounds much closer this time…

_“It’s coming from ahead,”_ Yu thinks, as she keeps running. She feels a chill run up her spine, but she ignores it. Nothing is going to stop her… except for that crimson and black wall. She nearly runs into the wall, but manages to stop _just_ before that happens. She stands still, her face centimeters away from the walls surface.

There’s someone beyond the wall… she can sense it. Suddenly, the wall begins to vibrate. She immediately moves back, watching as the wall meshes and collapses within itself. Bright light spills from the opening, and rapidly engulfs everything, including Yu.

Finally the light wanes, and Yu is aware of a three things…

One, there is more fog than before.

Two, she is holding something in her hands. Looking down, Yu finds that she is holding a katana. It feels cold, and somewhat heavy.

**_“So… you are the one pursuing me…”_ **

And three, Yu doesn’t know who it is, but she knows that there is someone ahead, hidden in the fog. She can see its figure, but can’t distinguish its features. It has a voice… and it’s most likely the same voice that has been speaking to her this whole time. Her grip on the katana tightens as she takes a step forward.

**_“Hmhmhm… Try all you like…”_ **

It’s taunting her…

Yu thinks of attacking the figure, but deems it reckless as the fog obscures her vision. Miss or hit, she has no idea what the figure will do to her if she closes in… or what it’s capable of doing at all. Rather than risk it, Yu thinks of an alternative.

She drops her katana and kneels down. The katana clatters onto the ground, the sound reverberating throughout the vicinity. The figure displays confusion, which was quickly replaced with a cry of startled pain.

Yu nods her head firmly in satisfaction. She’s just finished throwing her left shoe at the figure. Her aim is quite accurate, despite the fog, as she heard the impact of sole against skull and the figure’s pained cry. She quickly picks up her katana and prepares herself.

**_“It seems you can see a little, despite the fog…”_ **

The figure sounds irritated, but stands still.

Yu considers throwing her other shoe at the figure again, but decides against it. One shoe is enough, and it’s safe to say that the figure is only observing her actions right now. She’s still wary of the figure, however. At that moment, something stirs in the back of her mind. She furrows her brow as a glowing, black card appears in front of her, floating right in midair. She reaches for the card and grasps it.

Her eyes widen as her grip on the card tightens until she completely crushes it. Something explodes in the back of her mind and a dark silhouette darts forward from behind her, raising an arm in the air, and a bolt of lightning comes down on the figure. However, nothing happens.

There’s no cry of pain, just silence… until after a moment, the figure speaks.

**_“I see… indeed, y_ ** **_ou possess an interesting quality…”_ **

The card appears a second time, and Yu crushes it in her hand once more. The dark silhouette appears again, only this time, it charges forward and slams into the figure. Again, nothing happens.

**_“But… You will not catch me so easily… If what you seek is ‘truth,’ then your search will be even harder…”_ **

The figure glows, and a soft hissing sound fills the air. The fog grows thicker, and soon everything is engulfed within the fog. She can no longer see anything… all she can see is white fog.

_“What the hell?”_ Yu looks around and keeps a death grip on the katana.

**_“Everyone sees what they want to… And the fog only deepens…”_ **

Yu lunges sideways, swinging her katana swiftly as she notices a faint shadow moving slowly to her left. The blade slices through the fog, connecting only with air. A soft chuckle fills the area. A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of her face as she looks around. There’s nothing but silence and fog again…

Suddenly, a hand shoots out in front of her face from her right, and Yu barely chokes back a scream. She stares at the hand as it turns its palm to the sky. It is big, and black, and the fingers are tipped with lethally sharp metal. The hand is also closed into a tight fist. After a few moments, the hand opens, and shows Yu what it has.

It is her left shoe…the same one she had thrown at the figure.

Yu doesn’t have to put two and two together to figure out what happened. Her shoe had been thrown back at her with the intent that it would hit her right in the face. However, that’s not what happened, as something- some _one_ prevented that from happening… and Yu is staring right at that someone’s giant hand. It takes her a few seconds to realize that she’s also being stared at.

…

Silver eyes meet golden eyes, and Yu notices that they almost seem to have an ethereal glow. That’s all she can make out of the dark figure before her. A shadow us the only way to describe it; aside from its eyes and hands, she can’t make out its face, and she can barely make out its shape. Its gigantic, seemingly humanoid shape.

Whatever it is, she isn’t frightened by it. In fact, she almost feels… comforted… by its presence…

**_“…Will we meet again…?”_ **

Yu’s gaze turns away from the towering shadow, and into the fog. She had forgotten that there was someone else nearby.

**_“Hmhm… I look forward to it…”_ **

Yu drops her katana and clutches her head. Her vision is starting to spin, her sense of balance failing her as she sways in place. She feels herself falling backwards, but something catches her. The last thing she sees before completely losing consciousness is a pair of golden eyes.

…

…

Yu wakes up abruptly, gasping and looking around frantically, heart pounding and drenched in cold sweat. It takes her a full minute to realize that she’s still in her new room. Almost immediately, Yu lets out a shaky sigh in relief.

_“It was just a dream…”_ she thinks to herself. _“Just a dream…? Tch, more like a nightmare…”_

KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Breakfast’s ready!” It’s Nanako.

Yu looks at the clock and notices that it’s time to get up. She’s starting school today…

_“I should probably get dressed…”_

…

…

Moments later, after changing, into her school uniform, Yu makes her way downstairs and into the living room. She’s surprised to see Nanako setting the table alone, Dojima nowhere in sight.

_“Did she make breakfast?”_ Yu can’t help but wonder.

“Good morning,” Nanako says, setting her plate down on the table.

Yu nods in response and sits down across from her. Nanako stares at her plate of food for a few seconds before looking up.

“Okay, let’s eat,” she says.

Yu looks at her food, and then at Nanako. “Do you do the cooking?”

“I can toast bread…and cook sunny-side up eggs in the morning…” Nanako looks at her plate again. “Dad can’t cook, so I buy dinner.”

Yu is rather impressed, but at the same time, also sad… Nanako’s only six, not much younger than Yu had been when she first started cooking for herself. It’s difficult for Yu not to feel sympathetic towards her cousin.

“You’re starting school today, right?” Nanako asks, and smiles. “My school’s on the way, so… let’s go together.”

Yu notices that Nanako seems somewhat restless. Nodding her head, she decides to take up her cousin’s offer. “Okay, let’s.”

Nanako smiles more earnestly in response, and immediately starts eating her breakfast. Yu does the same, not wanting to keep her growling stomach waiting any longer.

…

…

After breakfast, Nanako and Yu make their way towards their respective schools. It’s raining outside, so they take their umbrellas along. Once they reach the Samegawa flood plains, Nanako points Yu in the direction of Yasogami High, and goes in her own separate direction.

Yu walks forward, eventually reaching an intersection nearing the front of the school. She’s no longer walking alone, joined by other students wearing the same school uniform. She can’t help but stare at the uniforms the girls wore.

_“That’s what I should have been wearing…”_ she thinks, sighing as she shakes her head. _“It’s not that bad…in fact, it’s kinda cute—”_

Yu snaps out of her thoughts as a loud squealing noise from behind makes her move to the side of the road. She turns and stares at a student attempting to hold an umbrella while careening by on a yellow, beat-up bike.

“Whoaaaa!”

Yu ducks her head and shut her eyes, cringing as she hears the sound of metal crashing against metal, followed by a body slamming into something hard and solid. She turns back slowly, wincing as she observes the young man doubling over in pain, whimpering. She walks towards him, wanting to get a closer look.

“Ngh… Urrrrghhh…” He’s in agonizing pain, clutching his… Yu immediately looked away and decided she should leave him be. There was no way she could help him out… not without blushing, which is what she’s doing, right now.

_“I hope he doesn’t see me…”_ Yu thinks to herself, as she discretely and briskly walks away.

…

As she approaches the gates of the school, Yu pauses and looks up at the building in front of her. The building is large, and fairly glamorous for a school… at least, in her opinion. She’s seen her share of schools, and this one stuck out… in a good way. The courtyard was clean, with well-kept bike racks off to the side, and cherry blossom trees framing the gate.

_“What kind of student life awaits me here?”_ Yu can already tell that nothing would be like before… she’ll make sure of it. _“Well, time to head to the faculty office…”_

Of all the things Yu prepared for when she entered the school’s faculty office, it’s anything but this.

“What’s a damn punk like you need in the faculty office?!”

Yu stares wide-eyed at the teacher in front of her. Black hair in some mix of a bob and a bowl-cut, brown eyes, and extensively extended buck teeth. His otherwise odd, dark, navy suit with white pinstripes, and white, long-sleeved dress-shirt, is effectively ruined by a tacky yellow and orange checkered tie. Apart from his off-putting appearance, he generally seems pissed-off.

_“Crap…”_ Yu thinks, as a bead of sweat rolls down the side of her face.

The teacher arches his brow at Yu and walks closer to her. “Who the hell are you?”

Yu forces herself to smile blankly. “I’m Narukami Yu.”

The teacher’s somehow scowl deepens. “Ah, the transfer student…just what this school needs, another one! I bet you’re just like that last one…”

Yu tries to ignore the teacher’s persistent glare as he looks her over, almost with disgust. _“Just ignore him, Narukami…and hope he’s not your homeroom teacher—”_

“And of course, you’re stuck with me.”

And just like that, Yu feels whatever fresh new start she had here go down the drain. Of all the possible teachers in the school, she got the one who’d love nothing more than to see her expelled before she even reaches the classroom. _“Well, fuck…”_

“Follow me, and keep up!” As much as Yu doesn’t want to, she follows the teacher… whose name she still doesn’t know, and at this point, doesn’t _want_ to know.

_“Could be worse…”_ Yu thinks to herself. _“Just be glad he doesn’t know of my reputation back in the city…”_

…

…

Yu stares at the students in the classroom. She’s rather shaken, having earned a bit of a “lecture” from the teacher prior to entering the classroom. The students had been talking to each other, most likely about her, considering the word that kept popping up in their conversations had been about a transfer student.

“Awright, shut your traps!” The teacher barks at the class, sending the students into an annoyed silence. “I’m Morooka Kinshiro, your homeroom teacher from today forward.”

_“Welcome to_ **_Hell_ ** _…”_ Yu thinks, finding the name rather appropriate for this situation.

“First things first! Just cuz it’s spring doesn’t mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons.”

Yu can see a few students shift uncomfortably in their seats. _“Note to self: avoid love.”_

“Long as I’m around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow!” Morooka turns his attention to Yu. “Now I hate wasting my time, but I’d better introduce this transfer student.”

_“Oh, thank god I’m a part of your schedule, now…”_ Yu had never heard anyone say “transfer student” with such distaste.

“This sad sack’s been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday’s _garbage_.”

Yu’s eye twitches slightly as she writes her name on the chalkboard. _“Just ignore him, Narukami…not worth giving the guy a better reason to bag on you…”_

“And he’s just as much of a _loser_ here as he was there, so you _girls_ better not get any ideas about _hitting_ on him! Tell ‘em your name, kid, and make it quick.”

…

_“Fuck it…”_ She is now beyond giving a damn, and turns to Morooka. “You calling me a loser?”

A collective set of gasps rose from the class as the students stare at Yu in awe, completely baffled with her bravery. Morooka glares at Yu as a vein pops out on his forehead, but she just smiles back innocently at Morooka, taunting him. Make your move, little man.

“Why you little—that’s it! You’re on my shit list, Narukami Yu, effective immediately.” Morooka is seething as he stares at Yu’s calm composure, furious.

_“Oh, you haven’t heard the worst from me yet…”_ Yu smirks. _“I was being downright tame right now…”_

“Now listen up!” Morooka demands. “This town is miles away from your big city of perverts and assholes, in more ways than one. You better not even think of getting involved with the girls here, let alone abusing them!”

_“You’re assuming I’m interested in that…”_ Yu rolls her eyes.

“But what do I know…it’s not like the old days,” Morooka drags on. “Even here, kids grow up so damn fast. Every time I turn my back, you’re fooling around on those damn phones, checking your FaceSpace and Tweeter pages.”

_“Oh god, he’s still going on and on…”_ Yu makes a face.

A short-haired girl raises her hand. “Excuse me! Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?”

“Huh?” Morooka’s gaze focuses on the girl. “Yeah, sure. Ya hear that? Your seat’s over there. So hurry up and siddown already!”

_“With pleasure…”_ Yu makes her way over to the empty seat next to the girl. Her hair is like a short bob, or slightly grown out pixie-cut, shades of hazel and sandy brown, and she’s wearing a bright green, high-collared athletic jacket over her uniform. She and the girl sitting in front of her in a bright red sweater definitely stuck out in the class, Yu notes.

Moments after sitting down, the short-haired girl whispers to her. “He’s the worst, huh?”

“You can say that again…” Yu mutters.

“Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class… Well, we just have to hang in there for a year.”

Yu narrows her eyes as she hears the people around her talking about her.

“Sucks to be the transfer student, ending up in King Moron’s class on the first morning here…”

“Yeah, he won’t think twice about suspending you if you get on his bad side. Then again, we’re all in the same boat…”

“Shut yer traps!” Morooka barks. “I’m taking roll, and I damn well expect you to respond in an orderly manner!”

How Yu’ll made it through the day, she can’t even begin to imagine. At this rate, if she doesn’t get used to it, she’ll be treading the school delinquency path.

_“I need to find a hobby…”_ Yu thinks, as she lazily spins her mechanical pencil between her fingers.

“That’s all for today. Normal lectures will start tomorrow.” With that said, Morooka makes his way toward the door.

_“Freedom at last…”_ Yu immediately reaches for her bag.

A soft trill of notes fills the room as the intercom burst into life. **_“Attention, all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice.”_ **

Morooka turns to his students. “You heard the announcement. Don’t go anywhere until you hear otherwise.”

Every student in the room watches Morooka as he makes his way out the door, and breathe a sigh of relief. Once he was out of earshot, a brown-haired girl standing next to Yu’s seat spoke.

“He’s seriously getting on my nerves…” she tells the girl in front of her.

Being right next to them, Yu happens to overhear. _“Tch, you and me, girl…you and me…”_

Several students run towards the window as the loud, unmistakable sound of sirens can be heard. Yu turns toward the window curiously, unable to help herself. She scowls as the thick fog prevented anyone from seeing what’s going on outside. The sirens grow louder with each passing second, eventually reaching a pitch and fading into the distance, implying that the police drove right past the school.

Yu sighs and turns her attention back to her desk. She quickly throws everything on it into her bag. The moment she hears she can leave, she’s outta here…unless—

_“No, Narukami…we are not taking that path.”_ Yu immediately discards all thoughts of sneaking out of school… _“Not with the police nearby.”_

“H-Hey, Amagi-san. Mind if I ask you something?”

Yu subtly shifts her attention to the black-haired girl sitting in the row just in front of her. She has long, straight black hair, with a red headband that matches the red sweater that she wears over her uniform. She’s simply beautiful, almost like a doll.

“Is it true that announcer’s staying at your family’s inn?” A male student is asking her.

The black-haired girl shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “I can’t discuss such things.”

“Y-Yeah, I guess not…” the student replies nervously, before running back to his friends crowding the window.

Just after he leaves, the short-haired girl walks over to the side of Amagi’s desk with a sigh. “Sheesh, how much longer is this gonna take?”

“There’s no telling,” the other girl replies.

“I shoulda left before the announcement came on…” the short-haired girl laments. “By the way, didja try what I told you the other day?”

Amagi looks questioningly at her friend.

“You know… That thing about rainy nights…”

“Oh… No, not yet. Sorry…”

“Ahhh, that’s okay. It’s just, I heard a guy in the class next door yell something like, ‘My soulmate is Yamano, the announcer!’”

**_“Attention, all students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do_ ** **** **_not_ ** **** **_disturb the officers. Head directly home. I repeat…”_ **

The intercom’s repeated message is quickly drowned out as the students begin talking in an uproar.

“Incident?!”

“What, something actually happened?”

“C’mon, let’s go take a look!”

Yu doesn’t know how to feel about this. _“Not even the first day and something bad’s already happened…”_

…

“Hey, are you going home by yourself?” The girl asks, she and Amagi walking over to Yu. “Why don’t you come with us?”

Yu stares at the two girls. “Uh…”

“Oh, nearly forgot!” She smiles. “I’m Satonaka Chie. You know I sit next to you, right?”

“Of course,” Yu replies.

“Well, nice to meet you!” Chie turns to the girl next to her. “This is Amagi Yukiko.”

“Oh, nice to meet you…” Yukiko seems nervous. “I’m sorry that this is so sudden…”

Chie pouts, waving her hand in protest. “C’mon, don’t apologize like that. It makes me look like I got no upbringing. I just wanted to ask some stuff. Really, that’s all.”

_“These two…”_ Yu blinks at Chie and Yukiko, smiling afterwards. “Ask away, Satonaka-san.”

“Wow, you’re shorter than you looked up there,” Chie remarks, as she looks over Yu a bit too closely for comfort. “You’re even shorter than Yukiko.”

As if to prove her point, Yukiko walks closer to Yu, to compare heights. “She’s right…

“But at least I’m taller than you!” Yu quickly points out the observation she’s made. It gets Chie to back off a bit, which causes Yukiko to softly chuckle behind her hand.

Chie makes a face. “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Uh, umm…Satonaka-san?” a timid voice asks.

Chie turns her attention away from Yu and towards the brown-eyed student who stands outside an arm’s length away from her. He has short, unkempt brown hair that looks a little orange with the right light in it, with a pair of orange headphones around his neck… and he seems rather nervous as he hold a DVD case in his hands.

“This was really awesome,” he says. “Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see…And…”

Chie is confused. “Hmm?”

The nervous student holds out the case as he bows deeply. “I’m really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!”

Chie takes the case from him. Almost immediately, he springs up straight and leaves after a quick, “See ya! Thanks!”

Chie is quick to react. “Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD?!”

“Argh!” Practically flashing up behind him, Chie quickly grabs the boy by the back of his collar.

Yu winces and looks away as Chie’s leg jerks upward, connecting with the guy’s crotch and causing him to yelp loudly in pain. _“I’m not even a guy and_ **_I_ ** _felt that…is that normal?”_

The boy stumbles backwards, whimpering as he jumps from one foot to the other, clutching his groin. Rushing over, Yukiko and Yu stop just short of Chie, who is staring at the contents of the DVD box with a mix of shock and horror.

“What the?!” she exclaims. “I can’t believe this! It’s completely cracked… My ‘Trial of the Dragon’…!”

“I think mine’s cracked too…” the boy chokes out. “C-Critical hit to the nads…”

Yu bites her lip, holding back the laughter that’s bubbling up in her throat. She feels bad for him— _really_ , she **did—** but the way he said it… she can’t help but find this situation funny. At the very least, she isn’t laughing at his misfortune (it wasn’t much, but it was _something_ ).

“A-Are you all right?” Yukiko looks concerned about Chie’s actions.

“Oh, Yukiko-san…” The boy looks up, a pained smile tugging at his lips. “Are you worried about me…?”

Chie growls as she notices the glint of joy in his eyes. “He’s fine, Yukiko. Let’s ditch him and go home.”

Chie places her DVD case in her backpack and makes her way through the open door. Yukiko quietly follows after her friend, leaving Yu with the pained student. He looks like he’s in a lot of pain, but there’s nothing Yu can do about it…again. Sighing, Yu leaves the boy and follows after Chie and Yukiko.

…

…

Yu walks out of the school building with Yukiko and Chie, and the three became immersed in simple conversation. It starts from something school-related before changing over to Yu.

“I move around a lot because of my parents’ job,” Yu explains. “I’ve been to a lot of schools because of it…”

Chie nods her head. “Ah…so you came here because of your parents’ job. Haha, I thought it was something way more serious.”

“Like a bad deal with a gang or something?” Yukiko offers.

Yu laughs nervously, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with how specific Yukiko was. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing like that,” Chie replies. “Sheesh, you got a strange imagination Yukiko…what have you been watching?”

Yukiko laughs. “Oh, just a simple drama…”

“We need to find you a hobby…” Chie sighs as she runs her hand through her hair. “Anyways, your situation reminds me a lot of Hanamura.”

Yu arches her brow at Chie. “Hanamura?”

Chie crosses her arms. “Hanamura Yosuke- the guy I kicked in the nads?”

“Oh, him… you know, you didn’t have to do that to him…” Yu still feels rather sorry for the guy… “I mean, I don’t think he’s having children anytime soon.”

“He’s right, Chie,” Yukiko remarks.

_“That’s right… everyone thinks I’m male…”_ Yu had almost forgotten, being so caught up in the conversation with Chie and Yukiko. _“I wonder if anyone has noticed… tch, doubt it.”_

Yu can care less about her situation, now. She made friends for once, and she was fine with just that.

“Can we change the subject?” Chie asks. “Please?”

…

“So…tell me more about this town?” Yu wants to know more about Inaba.

“Well, there’s really nothing here,” Chie begins. “That’s what makes it nice, but there is nothing much we can show to people from outside. Though, there is something from Mt. Yasogami… I think our dyed clothes or pottery or something is kinda famous—Oh wait! There’s the Amagi Inn!”

Yu notices that Yukiko shifts uncomfortably at the mention of the Amagi Inn.

“Yukiko’s family runs it…” That explains Yukiko’s reaction, but only slightly. “It’s the pride of Inaba!”

Yukiko looks nervous. “It’s…just an old inn.”

“No way, it’s been in all sortsa magazines as a hidden treasure.” Chie turns to Yu. “It’s a great inn! It’s been going for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday. Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going.”

Yukiko frowns. “I don’t think that’s entirely true.”

Chie looks at Yukiko and smiles. “So, tell me… You think Yukiko’s cute, huh?”

Yu looks at Yukiko and nods. “I think so, yeah.”

Although, beautiful is a more fitting word for Yukiko, but Yu doesn’t say anything.

Chie laughs. “I knew it!

“Come on…don’t start this again…” Yukiko seems bothered by this.

Chie waves off Yukiko’s response. “She’s really popular at school, but she’s never had a boyfriend. Kinda weird, huh?”

Yu has a feeling Chie is the reason for that. Just like she’s the reason why Yukiko’s face is red.

“C-Come on, stop it…” Yukiko is _really_ flustered. “Y-You shouldn’t believe that, okay? It’s not true that I’m popular or that I’ve never had a boyfriend—Wait, n-no! What I meant to say was, I-I don’t need a boyfriend! Geez…Chie!”

Chie laughs, finding humor in how worked up her friend is. “Hahaha! Sorry, I’m sorry…but this is our chance to talk to someone from the big city, and you barely said a word!”

Yukiko looks away from Chie, still rather red-faced. “Hmm…”

“Hey, what’s that?” Chie can see something up ahead.  She looks back at Yu and Yukiko, gesturing them to follow her before taking off toward a four-way intersection at the start of the housing district. Yukiko quickly follows after her friend, Yu doing the same seconds after.

_“What’s going on?”_ wondered Yu.

…

…

“So that high schooler left school early, and as she came down this street…”

A gossiping housewife is conversing with a fellow housewife. A child stands a few feet away from them, trying to look past the policeman blocking the road.

“Wow. Who could imagine THAT hanging from an antenna?”

“I wanted to see it too.”

“Uh, you got here too late… The police and the fire department took it down just a moment ago.”

“What the hell am I listening to?” Yu isn’t even sure if she wants to know...

“I have no clue.” Chie replies, the same as Yu.

Yukiko stays quiet, trying to listen closely to what the housewives had to say.

“Well, I think it’s terrifying. I can’t believe a dead body showed up around here…”

That definitely catches the trio’s full attention.

“A dead body?!” Chie repeats, looking shocked. “Did I- what?”

“Your hearing is fine, Satonaka, I heard her say it…” Though Yu really wishes she hadn’t…

Yukiko is speechless. She shakes her head, her curiosity leading her to stare up at the antenna that the housewives had been looking at a few moments ago. Her face is completely blank, but her eyes dart from the antenna to the surrounding area uneasily.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

Yu is rather surprised to see Dojima here, but then remembers what Nanako had told her last night. A dead body had been mentioned, and considering the roadblock ahead, an investigation was going on, so of course Dojima is here, because it’s his job.

_“I wonder if I can get anything out of him…”_ Yu is willing to try, but right after she answers her uncle’s question. “We were just passing by…”

Dojima nods his head firmly. “Huh… I should have figured that’d happen. That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here…”

“You know this guy?” Chie finally speaks, looking between Dojima and Yu.

“I’m Detective Dojima, his uncle and guardian…” Dojima looks over Chie and Yukiko, and then at Yu. He’s not one to judge, but at this moment, the thought that his nephew might be a playboy pops up in Dojima’s mind. It’s a rather unsettling thought, and he decides to keep it at that…a thought. “Well, how should I say this… I hope you get along with him.”

And that thought just pops up again.

Dojima shakes his head. “Anyways, you three really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home.”

After seeing the three teenagers nod, Dojima turns, about ready to return to his post when a young man in a black suit runs by. The young man is covering his mouth and looking like he’s about to-

The young man doubles over and empties the contents of his stomach onto the grass. “Ngh… Uuuurrghhh…”

Yu stares at the young man, feeling rather sympathetic. _“Poor guy…”_

Dojima, on the other hand, has no sympathy to give to the vomiting young man. “Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office?!”

Adachi turns, wiping his mouth as he looks up at Dojima. “I-I’m sorry…Nngh…”

Dojima sighs and shakes his head. “Go wash your face. We’re gonna go around and gather information!”

Yu stares at her uncle as he walks away, Adachi following moments after. She’s seen a different side of him today, and yesterday… she has a feeling the side she saw first was reserved for home and Nanako. _“Remind me not to piss him off…”_

“Was this what that announcement was about…?” Chie’s question snaps Yu out of her thoughts.

“What did they mean…it was hanging from the antenna…?” Yukiko looks down in thought.

“Hey, Yukiko…?” Chie sounds uncomfortable. “Why don’t we go to Junes some other time?”

Yukiko looks at Chie and nods. “Good idea…”

Chie turns to Yu. “Alright then, we’re taking off. Starting tomorrow, neighbor, let’s do our best!”

Yu nods, and with that, Chie and Yukiko depart. Sighing, Yu looks at the crime scene and decides to leave as well.

…

…

Yu arrives home, tired from the long walk and the first day of school (and King Moron’s yelling). She waves slightly to Nanako, who smiles as she greets her and turns back to the television.

Yu sits down across her cousin, not wanting to leave her alone. _“Not after that…”_ Yu thinks, as she watches the news.

“I wonder if Dad’s not coming home again tonight…” Nanako looks down.

**_“Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb. Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba.”_ **

Yu’s eyes widen as she saw the School Zone shown on the television. _“Could this be about that incident today…?”_

**_“The deceased has been identified as Yamano Mayumi, a 27-year-old at the local Television Station. The initial results of the Inaba Police Department’s Investigation have revealed…”_ **

Nanako gasps. “Ah! The Inaba Police Department! Th-That’s where Dad works!”

“It’ll be all right,” Yu reassures. “He was fine when I saw him…”

Nanako looks at Yu and nods. “I know. That’s his job, so this stuff happens.”

**_“The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident’s roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. With the cause of death also uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide.”_ **

_“How the hell is that an accident?”_ Yu is baffled. _“She didn’t fall out of a plane…”_

**_“A thick fog common to the area has slowed their progress, and plans to fully canvass the area are delayed until tomorrow.”_ **

…

“They found her on the roof?” Nanako bites her lip, her body trembling. “That’s scary…”

Yu frowns. “That had been some rather morbid news…did it have to be so descriptive?”

“Oh, it’s Junes!” Nanako looks at the television ecstatically.

_“Wow, one-eighty on that…”_ Yu is almost impressed.

**_“At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day. Comes see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day’s great at your Junes!”_ **

“Every day’s great at your Junes!” Nanako sings enthusiastically. Yu finds her cousin looking at her expectantly moments after.

Yu thinks for a moment and smiles. “Every day’s great at your Junes!”

Nanako smiles widely. “You memorized it already? I’m the best one in my class!”

Yu watches as Nanako sings the song once more. _“She’s so cute…”_

By now, it seems that Nanako has forgotten about today’s morbid news, which was good, actually.

“Uh, Nanako, can I sleep with you tonight?” While Nanako has forgotten about the news, Yu hasn’t and she’s already had a close encounter at the location where the body was found. That was nightmare material, and after last night’s nightmare… yeah, no thanks.

Thankfully, Nanako senses her discomfort. “Sure…You want me to get the futon ready?”

Yu shook her head. “That’s okay…I’ll do that myself after I get changed…”

…

…

* * *

_Tuesday, April 12t_ _h_ _, 2011_

_First day of school and I’ve already left a bad impression on the homeroom teacher. Usually it takes longer for me to earn a teacher’s animosity, but King Moron broke a record. Though, to be fair—he_ **_is_ ** _an asshole. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one of my classmates who thinks so._

_Aside from that, there’s been a murder—or an accident, whatever it was. How the hell can that be an accident? I demand an answer because how am I to believe she fell out of a plane?_

_That’s about the only appropriate reason why Yamano Mayumi would be found hanging from a television antenna…_

_Wow, that’s rather morbid…I’m glad I’m not sleeping alone tonight. Okay, subject change…_

_Satonaka Chie and Amagi Yukiko…both are girls around my age and the first friends I’ve made since arriving here in Inaba. Funny, they’re the first girls who aren’t wary of me for once._

_It’s nice…_

_I feel sorry for Hanamura Yosuke, the guy whose groin seemed to be a magnet for pain… I’ve seen the guy a few times and yet, we still haven’t met face to face. Maybe that will change tomorrow…who knows?_

_…_

_I still haven’t met that girl yet, but I’ll eventually see her again…hopefully. I want to know her name—maybe even be her friend. She looks like she needs a friend…_

_I should probably stay out of_ _Dojima’s way, now. I mean, that last thing I need while living with an uncle who is detective working at the police department is being the suspect in a murder. It’s a good thing he doesn’t know of my reputation back at home._

_Nobody has noticed yet and frankly, I don’t care anymore._

_I mean, everything’s going well—apart from the murder—and at this rate, I wouldn’t have it any other way._

_I have friends and someone who actually_ **_cares_ ** _._

_Hey, Mom and Dad?_

_You two could probably learn a few things from Dojima…_

_Ha, what am I even writing…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8-10-16 Edits are still going on, and a bit of a heads up: I’m deleting the chapters after this one and updating with the newer and improved versions from this point on. I still have a copy of the original version, but for now, please be patient. I just want everyone aware of what’s going on because it’s been a while.
> 
> Also, once again, MANY thanks to kurobook. This editing is now a team effort, so expect her name to pop up from time to time. Seriously though, please be patient for what’s going on right now. I just feel I can’t update Facade until this huge-ass editing project is done.
> 
> Moving on from there, let’s talk a bit about my take on a female Narukami Yu.
> 
> For one thing, she’s shorter than her male incarnate by a full eight inches, which makes her about the same height as the female protagonist in Persona 3 Portable… Oh, and as mentioned already, Yu is taller than Chie…by an inch, to be precise. She’s also much slimmer than male Narukami Yu, but apart from that, she’s not much different.  
> When I work with fem!characters, I try not to do anything drastic to their appearance. I usually just change their height and physique…or do nothing at all. It’s basically like looking at a drawing of a fem!character and saying, “I don’t see much of a difference.”
> 
> So when you’re trying to picture Yu, try to picture a short and slender Narukami Yu.
> 
> Another thing I didn’t mention is Yu’s personality. While he does have a set personality in the manga and anime, I rather go with the game’s personality and develop it on its own. It only seems appropriate for this female Narukami Yu, since it’s the personality I’ve developed for Yu while I was playing Persona 4 Golden, with my own twists on it. I’m pretty sure you’re all wondering what reputation Yu made for herself back at home… all in good time, readers, all in good time.  
> Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter. Please do leave a comment!! Comments let me know you love the fic, the characters, whatever! Tell me your favorite parts and do send a lot of love to kurobook. She’s been a HUGE help in this editing project!! (You give me so much credit… ///)
> 
> Until next time, guys!


	3. Midnight Channel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Reader and Co-Writer as of 8-10-16: kurobook

Yu sleeps well that night, and when she wakes up, the first thing she notices is how clingy Nanako has been in her sleep. A joking bead of sweat rolls down Yu's face as she feels Nanako's face burrowed into her chest.

" _Well, this is unexpected…"_ Yu thinks to herself. _"How am I going to get her off me?"_

It's not that Yu doesn't like being hugged, which is what Nanako is currently doing, it's the fact that Nanako is unintentionally smushed into Yu's chest. Yu isn't wearing anything under her shirt.

…

…

The walk to school is uneventful for Yu…at first. She's still somewhat flustered from this morning. Feeling slightly anxious, Yu checks inside her shirt and huffs in relief when she sees the cotton white bandages wrapped around her chest. The bandages are her only means of binding her breasts; when Yu left all of the clothes she owned back at home, she left _all_ of them, undergarments included.

" _At least boxers are comfy…"_ Yu thinks, continuing her walk.

A loud noise snaps Yu out of her thoughts. She blinks a few times and finds herself staring at a student who's stuck in a trashcan.

"H-Help me!" he cries out.

Yu sighs, lightly scratching her cheek. She can help the guy out and risk being late, or ignore him… Yeah, there _is_ definitely that, but then she'd be an ass if she just left.

" _King Moron's wrath or him…"_ Yu finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place.

…

…

The struggling boy's cries eventually win her over.

" _If I'm late, you owe me big time…"_ Yu thinks, walking over to him. She grabs his legs and pulls as hard as she can. Readjusting her hold, her arms are now wrapped around his waist, keeping him from falling back into the trashcan. Seeing as he's no longer stuck, Yu releases the familiar boy and watches him land rear-first onto the ground.

"You're a life-saver!" he gasps, looking up at Yu with gratitude, and a flustered blush, probably from exertion. "Thanks, umm… Narukami, right? The transfer student from yesterday…"

Yu nods. "Hanamura Yosuke… right?"

"So you've heard of me…" Yosuke grins widely at Yu. "Well, it's nice to meet ya!"

Yu extends her hand to Yosuke. "Are you okay?"

Yosuke blinks a few times, but nods as he takes Yu's hand. "Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

Yu pulls Yosuke up, releasing his hand when he's steady, and looks over him quickly before nodding to herself. He seems like he's in one piece—why is he standing so close to her?

"Wow, you're kinda short…" Yosuke remarks, leaning in to look closely at Yu. It surprises him, because Yu had little to no difficulty getting him out of that trash can.

"Do you have any sense of personal space?" She asks, narrowing her eyes at him. His face is right in front of hers.

"Oh, sorry…" Yosuke laughs awkwardly as he takes a step back away from Yu. "Say, did you hear about that incident from yesterday? They found that announcer lady hanging from an antenna!"

"Please don't remind me…" She'll get nightmares if she continues to think about it…

"You think it was some kinda warning?" Yosuke asks, as he picks up his bicycle.

Yu shrugs. "Who knows?"

"There's no way something that weird could've been an accident…" He says, looking over his bike.

"My thoughts exactly…" At this, Yu finds Yosuke rather likeable.

He huffs. "Dangling a dead body over a roof like that… That's just messed up. Then again, it's pretty messed up to kill someone in the first place."

"Way to state the obvious, Captain," Yu deadpans. "Anything else you'd like to point out?"

Yosuke laughs at that. "You're alright, Narukami."

She smiles. "I can say the same for you, Hanamura—"

"Oh crap, we're late!" Yosuke looks at his bicycle, and then at Yu. "You want a ride? It's a little squeaky, but it should be fine."

Yu looks hesitantly at him. "Well…I guess I don't have a choice."

"Great, hop on…"

…

…

"You know, you're rather skinny." The comment leaves Yosuke's mouth before he can even think twice about it.

"Can you stop making comments about my body, Hanamura?" Yu would prefer it if Yosuke kept his thoughts to himself while her arms were wrapped around his waist.

"Oh, uh, I mean it's not a _bad_ skinny—like, slender!" It takes Yosuke a few seconds to realize what he just said. It certainly wasn't any better than what he said previously. "Wait, crap—uh, sorry, Narukami…"

…

…

Yosuke and Yu manage to reach Yasogami High before the gates close. Yosuke chains his bicycle to the rack, and he and Yu bolt into the building immediately after. By the time they reach their classroom, the two are exhausted. Luckily for them, Morooka hasn't arrived.

Yosuke and Yu flop into their respective desks, and Yosuke pants, "Just in time…"

"All right, you idiots, quiet down!" a loud and angry voice yells out.

"…for Hell." Yu finishes, scowling.

The delinquency path is looking quite nice right now…

"You guys ARE in high school, aren't you?!" Morooka practically screeches. "Can't you shut up during class? Don't you have any common sense?"

A shadow over her eyes and a bead of sweat roll down Yu's face. _"Class just started, you moron…"_

"First of all, my job is to waste precious time teaching you assholes philosophy! And since I'm so nice…"

" _Bullshit."_ Yu bites her lip.

"I'll straighten up your rotten attitudes while I'm at it! Aren't you honored?!" Morooka looked at his class. "And I'll be going especially hard on any of you morons that're curious about the murder! Got it?! Now, get your books out!"

" _Way ahead of you, King Moron…"_ Yu thinks, as she starts reading the text of the first page in her book. How she'll manage to learn anything from today's lesson, Yu can't figure out, but she makes a mental note to look things over twice today at home. _"Gotta love studying… yay…"_

And _that_ was sarcasm.

…

…

…

Yu has just finished stuffing her things into her bag when she realizes someone is at her desk. She looks up and sees Yosuke.

"So…you getting used to this place?" he asks, crossing his arms afterwards.

Yu nods. "Yeah…"

"Wow, that was fast." Yosuke chuckles, "There isn't much to do here compared to the big city, but there is that certain… something you can't get anywhere else."

"Fresh air?" Yu noticed that the second she got off that train. It was rather surprising.

"Yeah, the air's clean, the food's great…" He smiles. "Oh, you know about the local delicacy?"

Yu makes a face. "There's a local delicacy?" When was that?

"It's grilled steak, man!" Yosuke laughs as though it's something hard to believe. "Like that's anything special, huh?"

Yu frowns, feeling as though one of her favorite foods has just been attacked. "I kinda like steak…"

"Oh...well, I know a place where you can get it cheap!" Yosuke sees an opening and takes it. "Wanna come? You helped me out this morning, so it's on me."

Yu's frown is quickly replaced with a smile that makes Yosuke stare a bit. "Sure."

"What about _me_ , huh? No apologies?" Asks a certain athletic-jacket girl, walking over to confront Yosuke with her hands on her hips. "My _'Trial of the Dragon'_?"

"Hey, Satonaka," Yu greets, earning a small wave from Chie.

Yosuke groans, running a hand through his hair. "Urgh… You always come around when I'm talking about food…"

Chie looks over to Yukiko, who has just finished putting her things away. "How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us, too?"

Yukiko looks at Chie and shakes her head. "I'll pass… I don't want to gain any more weight. I need to help out at the inn today, anyway."

" _Gain anymore weight?"_ Yu stares strangely at Yukiko, taking note of her lithe frame, but says nothing.

"Wow, Amagi-san!" Yosuke is impressed. "You started training to take over the business?"

Yukiko's eyes avert Yosuke. "It's not like that! I'm just helping out when it gets busy…Well, I should be on my way."

With that, Yukiko leaves. When she's completely out of earshot and view, Chie turns her attention back on Yosuke.

"Oh, well," she says, and then with a smile, "We should get going too."

"Huh?" Yosuke takes a step back. "Do I seriously have to treat two people…?"

Yu looks at Chie, and then back at Yosuke. "Pretty much."

Yosuke sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. "Let's get going…"

…

…

"Hey, what gives?! This isn't steak!"

Yu ignores Chie's outburst and focuses on eating the takoyaki Yosuke got her. While she does like steak, takoyaki is something she can't pass up.

"I can't afford two steaks," Yosuke tells Chie.

Chie pouts. "I can't believe it! And here I had my palate set for meat!"

Yosuke stares at Chie. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like!" Chie says, firmly.

"Well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans," Yosuke explains. "Either take it or leave it."

Chie looks at her takoyaki, and, though reluctant, starts eating. "You didn't have to bring us to your place, though…"

"Dude, this isn't my place or anything," Yosuke says, popping a takoyaki ball into his mouth.

Yu looks questioningly at Yosuke. "Your place…?"

Yosuke notices Yu's questioning look and swallows. "Oh, right…I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city about six months back."

" _That explains a bit…"_ Yu thinks, as she tosses another takoyaki ball into her mouth.

"This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it," Yosuke explains. "So our entire family came out here…what about you?"

"My parents went overseas and left me behind with my uncle," Yu replies, after swallowing. "This isn't the first time I transferred schools. I've moved around a lot because of my parents' job…"

Yosuke looks wide-eyed. "Wow… that must be tough…"

"You get used to it…" She sighs. "Compared to me, you're lucky… I envy you."

Yosuke laughs awkwardly and grabs his soda. "Well, this is your welcome to town."

"Thank you," Yu replies, smiling.

…

…

"It's only been half a year since this place opened up, but I haven't been to the local shopping district much since," Chie remarks. "A lot of stores there started closing and…oh, uh…"

"You can't blame it all on Junes, can you?" Yosuke asks, sighing afterward. The sound of a chair's legs scraping against the ground catches his attention. He turns, and his expression brightens.

"Hey…It's Saki-senpai!" Yosuke stands up. "Sorry, be right back."

"Is that Hanamura's girlfriend?" Yu asks Chie, as she watches Yosuke walk over to a young woman.

She has sandy-blonde, long and wavy hair, and gray eyes, and looks older than the three of them by at least a year. She's wearing a white long-sleeve, faded jeans, and a Junes employee apron. By the manner she sits in her chair, she's rather exhausted.

Chie laughs. "He wishes!"

"So… who is she?" Yu asks.

"That's Konishi Saki," Chie answers. "Her family runs the liquor store in the shopping district. I think she's working here part-time, though."

Yu nods, watching Yosuke talk to Saki. She can see the eagerness in Yosuke's body language as he talks to her. "He really does like her…"

…

"Hey, how's it going?" Yosuke asked. "You look beat…"

Saki looks at Yosuke and smiles weakly. "Heeey! I'm finally on break…What's up, Hana-chan?" Saki looks away, and over to Chie and Yu. "Boosting the family business by bringing your friends here?"

"Madam, you wound me!" Yosuke feigns hurt, earning a small laugh from Saki. "Kidding aside… You look down. Did something happen?"

Saki sighs and shakes her head. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little tired."

"Hey, if you need to talk, I'm always willing to listen. I…"

"I'm okay. Thanks, though… ugh, why'd I leave school early yesterday…?" She mutters the last part mostly to herself, but Yosuke still hears her.

He looks questioningly at her. _"What does she mean by that?"_

"Hey…is he the kid who transferred here?" Saki stands up and walks over to Chie and Yu, Yosuke following after Saki and hears her asking, "Are you the transfer student?"

Yu nods. "That's me, Konishi-san."

"Oh, did you hear about me already?" Saki smiles and looks over her shoulder at Yosuke. "It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much…"

"Uh—not necessarily…" Yosuke says nervously.

Saki turns back to Yu. "He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you two get along good. Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you."

Yosuke looks slightly hurt, but says nothing. He crosses his arms, trying to act as if he isn't bothered by Saki's comment.

"I'm not so sure about that." Yu smiles, "He's a great guy."

Yosuke's face flushes. He had not been expecting that response from the new transfer; it's kinda embarrassing. _"I just met the guy…"_

"Ahaha, I know…I'm just kidding."

Yu feels that Saki means otherwise, but decides that she's probably just tired. _"She looks a little pale…"_

"C-C'mon, Senpai," Yosuke stutters. "There's no need to worry about something like that."

"Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go…Laters!" With that, Saki walks away.

"Uh, Senpai…!" Yosuke trails off and sighs, plopping back into his seat and crossing his arms. "Hahah…Saki-senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than me. She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way…"

"Ohhh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh?" Chie grins widely. "Haha, I get it… So _that's_ how it is…"

Yosuke shifts uncomfortably as he notices the mischievous gleam in Chie's eyes.

"The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain…" Chie declares dramatically. "Hoho, the _flame_ of forbidden _**love**_!"

Yosuke's face _burns_ red. "Wha—?! Dude, it's not like that!"

"Oh, reaaaally…" Chie drawls, obviously not convinced. "Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart… You ever hear of the Midnight Channel?"

Yu arches her brow. "I haven't…"

Chie looks at Yu. "Oh, right, you just got here…Well, you're supposed to look into a TV that's switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen…And they say that person's your soulmate."

"And you lost me," Yu admits.

"For a second, I thought you were actually going to say something useful…" Yosuke shakes his head disappointedly. "How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?"

Chie scowls. "Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you?!"

"Of course I don't!" Yosuke snaps. "Why would I?"

"Well, it's raining tonight!" she says. "Let's all try it out—then you'll see!"

"Try it out…?" Yosuke arches his brow. "Wait, you haven't even tried it yourself?! Wow, I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something this stupid…"

Chie growls at Yosuke. "Grr…."

"All that aside…you know that 'incident' yesterday?" Yosuke asks, changing the subject. "You guys think it was murder?"

Yu makes a face. "What else could it be?"

"Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around…?" Yosuke says ominously, laughing when he sees Chie squirming in her seat.

"Sheesh, you shouldn't joke about stuff like that," Chie says, somewhat nervously. "Now who's the childish one…?"

" _At this rate, I'm gonna end up sleeping with Nanako again…"_ Yu thinks, unconsciously scratching her chest.

"All I am saying is, you guys better try it out tonight," Chie says firmly. There's a notable "or else" tone in her voice. One that both Yu and Yosuke catch.

Yu sighs. "Fine, I'll try it out tonight, Satonaka…I need to finish unpacking anyways, so I'll be up late tonight."

Because of yesterday's incident and the morbid description in the news, Yu put off unpacking for the today. She didn't want to leave Nanako alone or _be_ alone either.

"Thanks, Narukami…what about _you_ , Hanamura?" Chie glares at Yosuke.

"All right, just stop giving me that look!" Yosuke whines, and Chie grins victoriously.

"All right! Let's talk about this tomorrow, then! By the way, nice origami crane!"

"You want it?" Yu held out the origami crane she has just finished making…out of a paper napkin.

" _I think this could count as a hobby…?"_ It kills time, and it got her through most of Chie and Yosuke's conversation. It's better than doing nothing. _"I can't complain…"_

…

…

Yu finds herself having yet another lonely dinner with Nanako, Dojima nowhere in sight.

" _Okay, that's three times in a row that we've had take-out…"_ Yu thinks, helping herself to a steamed vegetable. _"I am not letting that number turn into four."_

Yu ignores the fact that it was her idea to get dinner from Junes while she was there with Yosuke and Chie.

"Did your father call?" Yu asks casually.

Nanako frowns. "No… He always says he will…"

At that moment, the front door opens. Nanako immediately perks up with a big smile.

"Oh, he's home!"

It almost hurts Yu just to hear just how happy Nanako sounds. _"Is she always home alone?"_

"What a day…" Dojima says, as he walked over to the sofa. He looks and sounds exhausted.

"Long day?" Yu asks, in hope of striking up a conversation.

"You wouldn't believe it…" Dojima replies, plopped onto the sofa.

Yu tilts her head to the side. "Try me…"

Dojima laughs weakly. "Did anything happen while I was out?"

Nanako is quick to answer. "No. You're late again…"

"And this is the third time I've eaten take-out with Nanako," Yu adds, holding up a Junes bag. "I don't think this is healthy…"

"I'm sorry, been busy at work…" Dojima rubs his forehead. "Can you put the news on for me, Nanako?"

Obediently, Nanako picks up the remote and turns on the television.

" _ **Next, more details in the developing story on the incident in foggy Inaba. Announcer Yamano Mayumi's dead body was found hanging above a house in this isolated rural town. It is confirmed that Yamano had been involved in an affair with Namatame Taro, husband of enka singer Hiiragi Misuzu."**_

Yu makes a face. _"Really? This again…?"_

At least with Dojima here, Yu actually feels safe.

" _ **The police plan to investigate this relationship and question any personnel involved with them. In addition, we now bring you an exclusive interview with the local student who found Yamano's body."**_

Dojima sighs. "An interview with the kid…? Where the hell did they find her?"

" _ **What went through your mind when you saw it? Could you tell she was dead? Did you see her face?"**_

" _ **U-Umm…"**_ a distorted voice replies.

Yu stares wide-eyed at the television screen. She recognizes the girl on the screen, even though her eyes are blurred out and her voice is distorted. "It's Konishi Saki…"

" _ **Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?"**_

" _ **Huh…? She was killed?"**_

" _ **Oh, errr…So did you see anyone suspicious around here?"**_

" _ **No, not really…"**_

" _ **We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care of?"**_

" _ **Huh? That's…"**_

Yu narrows her eyes at the reporter. His morbid enthusiasm is distressingly disconcerting to Saki, and the interview ends not long after.

"— _ **a tragedy that occurred near the local shopping district. Many storeowners are raising concerns about losing customers as a result…"**_

Dojima glares at the television screen. "Hmph. If they lose more customers, it'll be because you're making such a stink about it…"

Yu nods in agreement. _"They need to fire that reporter…"_

" _ **It really is a bizarre care, isn't it? I mean, hanging someone upside down from an antenna…I'd have to say it a warning or a sign from the culprit."**_

" _ **Yes, but so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime."**_

Dojima yawns loudly. "Loads of prank calls, though…"

" _ **So the cause of death is still unknown? And they don't have a single suspect yet? Taxpayers' funds are going to a police force who can't even figure out if this is an accident or a homicide?"**_

Yu stares at the television screen and shakes her head. _"I'm done with the news…"_

" _ **We'll be right back after these messages."**_

" _And I won't be here for that…"_ Yu thinks, as she finishes her dinner.

" _ **At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!"**_

Yu bites back a groan and turns back to her food, focusing very hard on blocking out the Junes jingle. _"That jingle is going to drive me mad by the end of this month…"_

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sings happily.

Yu sighs and hangs her head. _"At Nanako makes it acceptable…she's so adorable…"_

"Hey, Dad…can we go to Junes together sometime?" Nanako asks.

Silence…

"…No?" When Nanako turns to Dojima, she frowns when she sees that he's fallen asleep, his soft snores beginning to fill the room. "He's asleep. Geez…"

Yu quietly observes Nanako, beginning to see more and more of herself in her cousin. It's rather saddening, and at that moment, a thought pops up in Yu's mind. "Hey, Nanako…"

"Hmm?" Nanako looks at Yu.

"I'll take you to Junes sometime, if you want…" Yu offers, smiling genuinely. This is her chance to build bonds, and she's not passing that up anytime soon.

Nanako stares agape at Yu. "R-Really?!"

"Yeah, just tell me when and I'll take you."

The look on Nanako's face is priceless. It's official…there is no turning back for Yu.

" _I'll do anything for you if it means seeing you smile,"_ Yu thinks, reaching over to ruffle Nanako's hair.

…

…

* * *

_Wednesday, April 13_ _th_ _, 2011_

_I've made another friend, Hanamura Yosuke. He's like me…he also came from the city. Though, unlike me, it seems the move was permanent. His father is the manager of Junes, the very place Nanako loves. I wonder if I should tell her about that…_

_For now, I've decided that folding origami cranes is a good enough hobby to keep me busy. I should probably start buying paper. Heh, maybe if I fold a thousand origami cranes, I could get my wish granted… In that case, challenge accepted. I wonder how much I can fold before the end of the year…maybe I'll reach a thousand, maybe I won't._

…

_The mystery is still on whether or not Yamano Mayumi's death was an accident or homicide. Again, I refuse to believe she fell out of a plane. Though, that aside, it seems Konishi Saki, Hanamura's senpai, was the one to find the body. That's rough…_

_That probably explains why she was like that today. She's probably recovering from the shock of finding a dead body. Though, there's still something about her that bothers me. It's the way she treats Hanamura… Is she really teasing him? The way she acts, it's almost as if she's forcing herself to smile at him._

_Maybe she was just tired…_

…

_Nanako is reminding me more of myself—how I used to be, growing up. Though, she's lucky…she doesn't have to move around and…she has me now. As long as I'm around, Nanako won't be lonely. I'll make sure of that._

_I'll do anything to keep her smiling and happy…_

_I'm done unpacking and there are still a few minutes before midnight. I should probably check out the Midnight Channel, see if it exists or not._

" _Your soulmate appears if you look into a TV on a rainy night"…_

_Where Satonaka heard of the rumor, I don't know._

* * *

…

…

After sliding the journal under the sofa, Yu stands up and begins stretching. It's almost midnight and she is exhausted. She can hear the dull staccato of rain outside, a gentle white noise, and it doesn't help in keeping her awake.

" _Let's just get this over with."_ Yu looks at her clock. _"Just a few more seconds until midnight…"_

She turns off the lights and walks over to her television. Despite the lack of lighting, she can still make out her own reflection in the screen. It does help that the streetlight across the road is working properly tonight. Though, apart from her reflection, the screen is still blank.

" _It's midnight and yet, there's nothing…"_ Yu yawns and turns her back to the television. _"Of course, it was just a rumor…"_

Something catches her eyes, and Yu's breath hitches, eyes wide in disbelief. Her body is tense, frozen completely as she stares at the reflection of a lit television screen on her window.

" _What the hell?"_ she thinks, her heart racing in her ears. Turning slowly, she stares in shock at the static that dances across the screen.

A blurry image of a girl flickers in and out of focus, repeating itself several times. The girl seems to be…almost in pain.

A bright light flashes and a loud crack follows shortly after. Yu's gaze is completely glued to the television screen in shock.

" _Is this a joke?"_ she thinks, taking a half-step back. "What…is going on…?"

" **I am thou…"** a voice reverberates in her mind.

Almost immediately, Yu's head begins to throb painfully. Her hand clutches her forehead as she stumbles backward, disoriented by pain.

" **And thou art I…"**

" _Who…who are you?"_ Yu is trembling, the world seeming to tilt beneath her feet, and she said her eyes, trying to push the voice away. It feels like her head is being split in half, the searing agony spreading throughout her entire body.

" **Thou art the one who opens the door…"**

_BANG!_

Yu falls to her knees as a final wave of pain envelopes her. She doesn't move, choosing to remain doubled over. Her eyes are still shut as she tries to regain her senses. Then the pain fades almost instantly, leaving her slightly disoriented and still confused. Her heart is beating frantically against her ribs and her throat. She's just about choking on her ragged breathing. After a few moments, not enough for anything to fade, she looks up at her tv.

The screen is blank, but she's still unsure. Hesitantly, Yu stands up and slowly walks over to her television. Tentatively, she reaches out and taps the screen with her finger. The screen shivers in ripples of light, as though she had tapped the surface of still water, and emits a dull blue light, filling the once dark room.

Yu stares wide-eyed at the screen for a few seconds, before reaching out to touch it again. Instead of coming in contact with solid glass, her hand goes through the screen, like liquid. Yu lets out a startled yelp when she feels a forceful tug on her arm. She tries to resist, but she still falls forward.

"Aaagh!" At the angle she's falling, Yu would have fallen into the television completely. Luckily for her, that's not the case, as her left shoulder catches the edge of the television frame and halts her journey in.

Her other arm flails useless as she tries to find a sturdy leverage to push herself out of the television. Settling on the top of the television, Yu's palm presses firmly against the edge, and she pushes as hard as she can. Immediately, she feels her body being thrown backward. Her head and arm popped out of the television, much to her relief-

_THUD!_

Stars danced across Yu's vision as she groans, holding the back of her head. She curses silently, gingerly rubbing the back of her skull where it had connected with table. Her eyes burn and water as her head throbs painfully.

"Are you okay?" Nanako's voice calls out from somewhere in the house.

"I'm…okay…" Yu manages, even though her throbbing head says otherwise.

"I heard a really loud noise…did you hurt yourself?"

"Sort of…I hit my head hard…" Yu can already feel the bump forming on the back of her head. "Can I sleep with you again, Nanako?"

Nanako opens the door, her gaze falling upon Yu. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"…Yeah, I did…" If only it really were a bad dream…because, at least then, it was just a stupid nightmare. From the pain in her head…this was reality.

Nanako sighs with worry for her cousin and walks over with a hand out. "C'mon, let's go."

Yu finds herself being walked out of her room by Nanako, with Nanako's tiny hand holding onto her slightly bigger hand.

"So what happened in your dream?" Nanako asks curiously, in such a soft tone.

"My TV tried to eat me…" Never before in her life has Yu ever been so afraid of such a simple, electronic device. She certainly doesn't plan on sleeping in her room tonight—not with that television in her room!

Nanako gives Yu's hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay, I'm here. Let's go to bed…"

Yu sighs, feeling rather relieved. She is definitely going to tell the others about this… For now, she's just glad that Nanako is here for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kurobook and I here again with another chapter! Also, I would like to apologize if I scared anyone by deleting all those chapters. As I said before, it's been a while. I want to make sure this story is cleaned up before I get back to work on chapter 51, so it'll be a while before I start doing that.
> 
> Anyways, if anyone is interested, I doodled a [Young Yu](http://klonoadreams.tumblr.com/post/149017217749/klonoadreams-just-a-wip-of-a-doodle-im-working) in one of her elementary school uniforms (I'll let the design speak for itself). Just putting that up there, it's on my tumblr, klonoadreams. By the way, before anyone asks, I DO in fact have a Persona 5 fic in the makings with a [female protagonist](http://klonoadreams.tumblr.com/post/149044454899/more-on-kimura-jun-my-take-on-a-female-persona-5). So yeah, that's a thing, even though I don't have a PS4 to play my Take Your Heart Out Edition.
> 
> Moving on from there, anyone still interested in the copy I have of Façade, just send me a message and I'll give you a link to the pdf of it. I will warn you, you're looking at like 800+ pages (I wrote a lot, holy SHIT, I'm so sorry for what I've gotten you into, kurobook). If I get enough people asking for the link, I'll just post it up on my tumblr.
> 
> Anyways, a bit of a heads up, I go back to school on Monday and because someone (me) decided to add chemistry as a second major…so guess who isn't graduating for a while? Yeah, me…again, this is just a heads up. So do understand why it takes a while during this editing session (kurobook also has business of her own, so keep that in mind as well and again, send her some love for taking part in this huge editing project).
> 
> So like, I gave Yu the origami crane hobby that Yu had in the anime. Thought it would be a nice touch and then I remembered the thousand origami crane legend. Decided to use that to expand upon that little trait Yu had in the anime. Let's see how much Yu can get done before the end of the year!
> 
> Oh, and the current running gag for Yu Narukami is the fact people keep pointing out the fact that she's shorter than she seems. In any other situation, it wouldn't be that much of a deal, but since everyone is under the impression that Yu is male, then her height happens to stand out because she appears short for one her age.
> 
> That's about it for now, so I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to tell me what's on your mind about the chapter (ANYTHING), in the form of a comment!! kurobook and I will appreciate it!
> 
> Till next time!!


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